Ali’s books have been hit or miss for me but this one is a major hit! Probably my favorite!

Now my 90’s kid took some time to disassociate Elsie from the Borden’s mascot cow but other than that I really enjoyed Love Theoretically. As a massive Big Bang Theory fan I was semi versed in the differences between experimental and theoretical physics and I really enjoyed the way Ali used the real world tension between the two and amped it up to 100.

Like all of her FMCs, Elsie is a bit out there (nobody likes Twilight and cheese that much 🤣) but she’s quite likable. I specially as the book goes on and she grows more into herself.

Jack is my favorite (and clearly Ali’s too) type of MMC, initially broody but a cinnamon roll at heart.

For my spice fans, the spice takes a loonnggg time to show up but it is there! This is def one of the more slow slow burns I’ve read in a while but the great banter makes up for it.

Another hit by Ali Hazelwood!

My absolute favourite part of Ali Hazelwood’s books is the setting of academia, and this novel is even more academic than the previous ones. Typically with romance books featuring professors or researchers, the setting is secondary. But with these books, the setting really comes to life, and you can tell that the author has ample experience in this realm. The university politics are all there—and for readers who think that the truth was stretched–it really isn’t. This is what it’s like in academia. Even the days-long interviews and the exhaustion that accompanies them. I don’t miss that! At least I got more than the one allotted bathroom break!

Hazelwood writes awkward heroines, and Elsie is no exception. She’s spent her entire life adjusting her personality to fit the needs of whomever she’s currently interacting with. She doesn’t want to be seen as a burden, which stems from her childhood when she was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. Even now, her family overly relies on her to be the peacemaker, even when she’s interviewing for a top job at MIT!

The family drama was a little over the top, as were a few of the misunderstandings. These people have PhDs! Some of Elsie’s misunderstandings required a little too much of a suspension of disbelief, particularly how she heard the word “phys” and assumed Physical Education… when she’s a physicist? Mmm k

Regardless, this is a feel-good romance and I love the predictability of Ali Hazelwood’s books. You know that it will start off with angst, all the while you, as the reader, can tell that the hero is already smitten. Meanwhile, the heroine, despite her advanced degrees, remains clueless. Then, she has personal growth while developing feelings for the hero. Then, there’s the overly spicy romance scenes that you wouldn’t expect by looking at the cartoon covers 👀

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy Hazelwood’s other books, if you work in higher education, or if you just want a good laugh.

Ali Hazelwood writes copy/paste romances, but this is maybe her best copy/paste yet.

The storyline and characters of this book, as with her others, are very formulaic, just dropped into a STEM context. It was still overall enjoyable, but I think there isn't really anything special here. That said, it is entertaining, and this protagonist was more interesting (and less eye-roll inducing) than Hazelwood's previous two novels.

Ultimately, this was a fun read, less cringey than The Love Hypothesis or Love on the Brain, and I'd recommend it with the stipulation that you shouldn't go in expecting your world to be changed, but if you just want an easy read, then go for it.

Out June 13, 2023 [Thank you so much the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 5/5 stars

Elsie is a theoretical physicist working as an adjunct professor and moonlighting on a fake dating app. But when the brother of her favorite client turns out to be a member of the committee evaluating Elsie’s application for a faculty position at MIT, her well-planned personas may just begin to crumble.

I have made no secret of my love (adoration? obsession???) for Ali Hazelwood, to the point that receiving an ARC of one of her books was literally a bucket list item for me, so to say I was excited when I had the chance to read this one is a massive understatement. Fortunately, I was as blown away by this book as I have been of all of Ali’s previous works.

Elsie and Jack are both fascinating, layered characters—Elsie, particularly, is incredibly nuanced and watching her journey to self-acceptance unfold was so beautiful to me. And Jack…well, a swoon-worthy Ali Hazelwood MMC is nothing new, but Jack is, in some ways, my favorite of them all (maybe. For now. It’s a multi-way tie, okay????) because of the way he truly supports Elsie and challenges her to grow and overcome her insecurities. The supporting characters are also great, and I particularly loved seeing some ace/aro representation/discussion in a mainstream romance, as well!

I could go on, but truly there are no amount of joyful, effusive sentences that can adequately convey how happy an Ali Hazelwood novel makes me, and this one is no exception. I can’t wait for the world to read it!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: STEM romance; academic stories; hedgehogs

CW: Mentions of death of parent; some misogyny/sexism

Quite possibly her best book yet. TLH was good, LOTB was basically TLH 2.0... but THIS... THIS was IT. Ali was able to incorporate her classic quirk, without making it too overpowering. And her hero seemed decidedly different from Adam and Levi, in the best ways possible. I was a little worried after her last book, but Love, Theoretically reeled me right back in.

In her third full novel, Ali Hazelwood takes us on an emotional roller-coaster and deep into the not-always-fun world of academia. When Elsie finally lands an interview for her perfect university job, she discovers one of the interviewers, Jack Smith, is going to be a bit of a problem, in more ways that one. The first problem: she's kind of fake dating his brother. The second problem? He hates everything to do we theoretical physics and Elsie just so happens to be a physicist of the theoretical variety. The third and biggest problem? Jack is convinced she's not going to get the job, and he just might be right, but not for the reasons Elsie thinks.

Hazelwood is so good at flawed, but still redeemable characters. Both Elsie and Jack have preexisting unhealthy thoughts and relationships that they need to work through. I was pleasantly surprised to watch the book continue after the interview and hiring was complete. Watching Elsie work through the unfairness of academia and still come out on top was the cherry on the romance novel cake. Thank you Ali for having female characters who still want to succeed their career, even when prince charming comes sweep them off their feet.

I really enjoyed this STEMinist book! As I am currently working in (non-STEM) academia, I can relate to how wild the interview process can be. The steam was spot on and I really liked getting to see characters from previous books by Ali Hazelwood!

First of all, NOBODY writes "he falls first" pining like Ali–the longing and devotion we got from this man is unparalleled. 🙌 She's also cranked up the tension and emotional character arcs big time with Elsie and Jack–I would almost call this enemies to lovers instead of rivals because these two were DIAMETRICALLY opposed from the start. Their dynamic in the first third of the book was borderline stressful (in the best possible way because you just know that all that passion and hatred is going to lead to some incredible makeout scenes 😏)

The love confession in this book rocked my world–(another thing that Ali is universally beloved for!) And there was so much emotional intelligence and deep-hitting mental health rep in this that it's practically a certified Therapy Dupe. While there are absolutely multiple plotlines in this, I'd say that the emotional growth of the characters is the primary focus, particularly in the last 50%. Elsie is a recovering people pleaser with what I strongly suspect is BPD (or maybe I'm just projecting my own diagnosis bc she's one of the most deeply relatable characters I've ever read? I don't think so though.) I loved that Jack also had growth and imperfect behaviors of his own to work on and this never felt like a savior dynamic between them.

There's lesbian and meaningful Ace/Aro spectrum representation in this (side characters, but with major contributions to plot and dialogue) as well as some really stellar examples of allyship–namely the two main characters doing their best to support these friends but realizing and owning their mistakes when they make them, emphatically apologizing and correcting their behaviors.

And if you're a current or former academic/graduate student/STEM baddie, I think you'll really appreciate how Ali rains hellfire upon the entire broken and exploitative system in this one–she's always been outspoken about her spot-on criticisms but she does not pull any punches in this book in particular. 🔥

THANK YOU to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the free e-galley in exchange for my honest review–this is easily one of my favorite romcoms of the year, and one that I know I'll return to again and again as a comfort read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Enemies to Lovers
- STEMinist RomComs
- Academia
- Twilight Marathons

Love, Theoretically has captured the 'Ali Hazelwood formula' and polished it up but in no way feels like a carbon copy of her previous work. This is by far the funniest, steamiest and quirkiest STEM romance that Ali Hazelwood has written and is now, hands down, my favorite book of hers. I've seen lots of comments that this will just be a 'copy/paste of her last two books' but that is NOT IT.

Elsie and Jack feel like more refined characters and were never aloof, oblivious or jumping to conclusions that you know a PhD level sciences would never jump to. The relationship moves faster than I would normally like but it works with Elsie and Jack's dynamic.

Jack is one of those heroes that has that big and bad reputation but of course once you get to know him, he is far from what everyone seems to believe. Plus, the way he communicates and is open with Elsie is just *chefs kiss*.

I feel like I could go on and on about this book but I don't want to give away too much. I will recommend this to any romance reader and probably won't shut up about how perfect Jack Smith is.

p.s. you're all in for a treat because there is a multiple page cameo of Adam and Olive (The Love Hypothesis) aaaand a mention of Bee (Love on the Brain).

The best description of Ali Hazelwood's writing I've seen is that it is the same story, in a different font. However, I will say Love, Theoretically has been the strongest writing so far - without the second hand embarrassment brought on by the sunscreen or the mars topography that haunt me from two of her other books.
Elsie is a people pleaser who is pulled into stupid family dramas and won't go no contact with her family. She's also a low paid adjunct with a boss that is obviously (to me) actively undermining her, so is working as an escort (in the literal meaning of the word, not the commonly understood meaning of that job title) to make ends meet. Jack Smith is both the older brother of one of Elsie's escort clients and on the panel for selecting her for a new role at a different university, so a wealth of hijinks are on deck with that setup.
A strong outing by Hazelwood.

Thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an arc for review.

Another great read from Hazelwood. Good weaving in of current topics and real issues. Satisfying conclusion to the romantic conflict.

(3/3,5 stars)
A typical Ali Hazelwood read that had a bit more umph than Love on the Brain but still struggled to match the novelty of The Love Hypothesis.

Adjunct physics professor, Elsie Hannaway is just trying to make ends meet and maintain her health amid a chronic illness, but when her paying fake dating boyfriend's brother is more than he seems, it could mean the end of her people pleasing nature but also her physics career.

Here's What Worked:
- The early premise of fake dating Greg immediately drew me in. It felt like a fresh take and the reasoning behind it felt genuine.
- Enjoyed the enemies to lovers aspect between Jack and Elsie.
-Elsie's need to please others felt VERY relatable
-As always, love the perspective offered of being a woman in STEM. Hazelwood does a great job of showcasing the culture, which can obviously be male dominated and toxic as well as political.
-Jack, the MMC, was easy to understand. I understood his background, his characterization, and the reasoning behind all of his actions which made him easy to root for.
-Great side characters. Cece, Greg, and George all added to the story and continued to make me laugh.
-Appreciate the conversations regarding sexuality and lack there of. Not something included in romance books often and its done well!
-CAMEOS!!!!

Here's What Didn't Work:
- The pacing didn't work. The middle and end kind of dragged. A few things are solved early on that made this book feel like it ended sooner than it actually did. Could've probably gotten the same resolution with fewer pages.
-Miscommunication reared its ugly head in annoying fashion in this one. Jack is very straightforward, but Elsie just doesn't get it? Even outside the romance, people say things to her but she struggles to infer anything?? And I get her not believing people liking her for her but....still didn't make sense.
-I appreciated Jack's patience and understanding, but it almost feels like he fixes her? In a way that feels unrealistic. This is the same woman who lets mentor call her by the wrong name for YEARS, but all of a sudden, she grows a backbone. I understand, but something about it felt dismissive of the clear work Elsie needed to do on her own.
- This a spicy read. And although I enjoyed the level of communication and consent between them, something about it felt not great and maybe performative.
- We get it, Ali. All of your MMCs are freakishly tall. However, the amount of words and sentences dedicated to showcasing that fact is getting ridiculous. Give us an average 5'10 king and move on!

Overall, a fun, albeit familiar and formulaic read from Hazelwood that didn't reinvent any experimental phyiscal models but could've benefit from it.

Thank you Berkley Romance and Netgalley for my free e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have now read everything Ali Hazelwood has put out and can confirm, everything is the same. THE EXACT SAME. The characters and storylines are all the same, just copy and paste. I did not necessarily hate this book or was unhappy while reading it. But if you read any of her novels before or the novellas, you have basically read them all.

If you have any reservations about reading this book... lose them! This book is (another) must read. Not just because it's another amazing book written by Ali Hazelwood, but because it will have everything you want in a romance. This book had me laughing out loud, gasping, and ready for more! I never wanted it to end. The chemistry between Elsie and Jack is straight fire! She speaks her mind, frequently, and Jack isn't afraid to stand up to her. Elsie thinks that Jack single-handedly destroyed theorists' reputation and realizes there may be more to the story than what she think she knows. Jack may not be the self righteous jerk that she always assumed him to be. Elsie is forced to confront Jack as he is a part of her hiring committee for her dream job. But this has other complications since she knows Jack... from fake dating his younger brother! Jack thinks that she's lying to his brother and is immediately wary of her and her intentions, whereas Elsie now knows Jack is the reason that her and theorists everywhere aren't taken seriously. Thus starts a feud that quickly has more passion than either had expected. The more they're forced together, the more Jack and Elsie realize they just might not hate each other after all. And small spoiler- (if you're an Ali Hazelwood fan you'll know) there's an Adam and Olive appearance!!! #NetGalley #NetGalleyARC #ARC #LoveTheoretically #AliHazelwood

Hazelwood does it again!

I lived for when I had moments to read this book. I squeezed in every moment I could into my busy schedule to consume this, even 5 minute breaks! I was kicking and screaming and giggling at all the sweet moments that eventually brought out protagonists together. I mean I was seriously gushing, still am.

While the romance was wonderful and well-paced, I also really appreciated Hazelwood's discussions on academia and the job hunt. I cried at various points because somethings just hit so close to home: from terrible advisors who don't have your best interest at heart to never having enough money or health insurance to some job postings just being shady. I felt it. I'm not in STEM, but these issues are rampant across academia.

And now it's time to go reread Hazelwood's entire bibliography!

4.5/5⭐️ so cute!! Ali’s STEM romances are my fav🫶🏻 jack and Elsie were so cute and i loved the extra academia aspect to this! it has a bit of disability rep in the form of diabetes. thank you so much Berkeley Romance for the ARC!!!

I love how Ali Hazelwood blends science and romance together, and she keeps getting better at it as she goes.

I may have screamed with joy to get this ebook as I love this author!

I love that she features women in STEM. Elsie is so relatable and funny. She has a PHD in theoretical physics but is stuck working as an adjunct professor. She has to supplement her income to pay off student loans so she works for Faux as a fake date for hire.

Elsie is hilarious! I love hearing the thoughts in her head. She is a people pleaser and is always changing to accommodate those around her and make others happy. This is a problem that Jack points out to her and he tells her he wants her to be honest. She is devastated when she learns the truth about her mentor. She finally is able to get away from him and do what she loves.

Watching Jack love and help her to grow and change was beautiful to watch unfold. He is able to see her for who she really is and help her to feel comfortable in her own skin and to be honest with others. She also is able to tell Jack how his essay affected her and others. This makes him reflect on his own life and ultimately write a beautiful article to win Elsie back.

I get a kick out of all the quirky characters in this book. This book does tackle some tough issues but will make you laugh along the way.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley publishing for this e-book.

Ok this book was so cute I was giggling so much!!!

It’s about Elsie who is a theoretical physicist working as an adjunct professor who also part time fake dates men to make money off of a fake dating app.

That’s where she runs into one of her clients brother who she instantly butts heads with.

Their tension and banter was so good I loved their relationship. I just loved how the MMC Jack was very straight up with her and always asked her what did she want even when she didn’t know. He was so confident and reassuring I loved their dynamic.

There was definitely a lot of science jargon and lingo in this novel that sometimes felt a bit too much and repetitive but I overall enjoyed the book so so much!

I'm going to need 3 to 5 business days to recover from the book hanger I currently have. I loved each and every part of this book and I already can't wait to reread it. Potential spoilers below!

I do not work in academia or have a STEM background, so I loved being introduced to this whole new world. Ali Hazelwood truly is the queen of STEM romance! The banter was chefs kiss and don't even get me started on the spice. Hands down her spiciest book yet!!

Elsie is currently unhappy in her position as an adjunct and a professional fake girlfriend, so when the opportunity to interview for MIT's physic's department, she's thrilled. That is until she bumps into Jack, the brother to one of her favorite clients and her sworn enemy. Along the way, we get to see Elsie gain more confidence in herself as a professional in her field,, as well as, be her true self to those most important to her.

Oh Jack, there aren't enough words in the English language to gush about this man. He saw Elsie, truly saw her and loved her even when he wasn't supposed to. He helped her accept her true self, while also standing up for what she wants, not what those around her want. He made his way to the top of my book boyfriend list!

This was hand down my favorite book of 2023 so far, Ali Hazelwood blew me away. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.